Lubricator.



G.J.'BINGHAM.

LUBBIGATOB.

AHLIOATID! IILED JULY 0, 1907. REIEWED DEO. 1. 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. J. BINGHAM.

LUBRIGATB.

.Arruonxox rmsn JULY e, 1901. Bmmwnn Dnc. 1. 1909.

988,853. Patented Apr.4,1911.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

GEORGE J. BINGHAM, OF NEW YORK, N.

LUBRICATOR.

Application led July G, 1907, Serial No. 382,458.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. l, Gnonon J. BINGUAM, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New York. county of New York, and State of Kew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to lubricators, and more particularly to such as are designed for use with journals of rapidly revolving shafts.

lt is designed for use with thick or viscid oils, grease, and relatively thick or heavy lubricants, as well as with thinner o1' lighter oils.

A. leading objectof the invention lis the prompt delivery of thelubricant t0 a shaft or journal at the commencement of its rotation, and even after a considerable yperiod of rest, and another prominent object is the softening or melting of the lubricant in cold or cool weather, where there is a tendency to congeal or solidify by reason of low temperature. It is desirable also that the rate of feed or delivery of the lubricant he as nearly uniform as practicable, or proportionate to the speed of rotation or movement of the lubricated part or parts. This result I likewise attain by my improved construction.

Prior to my present invention various lubricating devices have been contrived, many of which utilize the principle of capillary attraction for conveying the lubricant from a reservoir to the Surface to be lubricated. ln Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me February 5, 1901, and numbered 667,183, there is set forth a construction in which the lubricant is delivered to a rotating journal. by means of fingers, cach consisting of a plurality of copper wires twisted together, the several fingers being pivotally supported upon a rod or bearing, and elastically held or pressed against the journal by springs. Copper being a good transmitter of heat, it was found that the wire fingers resting against the journal, and becoming more or less heated by the rubbing friction therewith, would maintain in fluid state a lubricant which otherwise would tend to solidify at moderate temperature, and which but for.' such heating it would be difficult or impossible to deliver to the journal. This feature I find it desirable to employ in the present structure. I have Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '-1, 1911.

Renewed December 7, 1909. Serial No. 531,886.

wire fingers or rods are, under my improved construction. covered with fibrous material,

woven, braided. or otherwise suitably fashioned, and the fingers composed of the wire members and the fibrous coverings are in turn covered with perforate metal wearing plates, which aid in transmitting heat to the lubricant. and in keeping it in a proper fluid condition.

The construction will be readily under-V stood upon referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a car axle box provided with my improved lubricator, and showing the journal in position; Fig. Q, av transverse section on the line .e-z of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the lubricating" device or attachment removed from the journal box; FiO. 4, a face view of one of the fingers withoutV the perforate metal plate. and with the fibrous covering partially broken away; Fig. 5, acrossl section of the same; Fig. 6, a face view of the finger, the perforated cover being partially broken away to show the fibrous material back of it; Fig. 7, a transverse section of Fig. 6.

In said drawings 2 indicates a journal box of usual form and construction, and 3 the journal of a car axle or other rotating shaft or member, extending into said box and beneath the customaryY brass or bearing block 4, these parts being of ordinarycon struction. Box Q is made of sufficient depth to :form a reservoir beneath the journal 3 for a lubricant, and the usual opening is formed in the outer end thereof as shown, and provided with a cover 5 to permit access to the journal, the brasses, and the lubricantchamber.

1Within the box i'. and resting upon the bottom thereof. is placed my improved device, comprising a suitable base, and a series of spring-sustained fingers, alternately rising from opposite sides of said base, and

inclined in reverse directions, as seenin Figs. l, 2 and 3. Though the construction of the base may vary without departing Afrom the scope of my invention, I find it convenient to make the same as shown in F ig. 3, where it will be seen tc consist of two longitudinal strips of sheet metal, connected by cross strips T at the ends, the several pieces being suitably riveted together, and a loop or finger-piece T heilig riveted or otherwise made fast to the outer end of the strip 7 to facilitate handling of the base frame in inserting and removing the device.

Riveted or otherwise sec'ured to the longitudinal strips (i, G, are bent or V-shaped springs 12, of sheet steel or other resilient material, those of one bar 6 alternating with those of the other bar, under the arrangement here illustrated. Each spring 12 carries a plate or finger S, which may be' conveniently made of sheetI metal, with up- 'turned longitudinal edges or tianges for a purpose presently explained. Lying upon thc upper or inner face of each plate or finger S is a fibrous body preferably formed of a series of woven or braided strands 9, laid side by side, and packed more or less closely between the upturned flanges. or edges of the plate or finger 8, which Songes serve to maintain them in proper position. In order to maintain the fibrous body in position and keep it stretched taut and smooth, its ends are or may be clamped by sheet. metal ears 8, formed integral with the plate or linger S, and bent over upon the upper and lower ends of the strands 9 forming said body, as shown in Figs. el and "ithin the woven or braided strands 9 are or may be placed wires ll. The wires serve not only to transmit heat from the journal to the lubricant to maintain it in proper fluid condition, but also to stiften and support the strands 9, and aid in maintaining them in proper form and position. The wires also serve to carry up, or assist in carrying up, lubricant from the reservoir to the journal, as was the case in the construction set forth in my prior Patent No. (367,183. This action is believed to be due to capillary attraction incident to the proximity of the wires one to another, aided, .it may be, by surface tension and viscosity of the lubricant. This seems clearly demonstrated by tests weich have been made to determine the cause of the feeding of the lubricant. Yhatever may be the scientific explanation 4of the physical operation. it is true that the lubricant is carried upward by the wires even in the absence of anv fibrous sheath or covering, and this` action is inherently present when the wires are elnployed and arranged as herein set forth. In fact, it has l-een found that without the fibrous sheath or covering the lubricant is apt to be carried up faster than is desirable, since when in excess 1t travels along the lower edge of the saddle or bearing block' resting on the journal, and works out of the box at the inner end'thereof where the journal passes through the saine, and is thus wasted. The fibrous sheath governs and controls the feeding action, preventing, on the one hand7 excessive feed, and, on the other hand, maintaining sufficient oil always at the )caring point on the journal to enable the same to start from a condition of rest without danger of being without lubricant. In this way 'aste of lubricant through escape in the manner described is prevented, and a given supply of lubricant is found to maintain perfect lubrication under service conditions many times longer than where bare wires are used as in myy earlier patent before referred to.

I find it advantageous to employ a metallic cover-plate l0 over or above the fibrous body or strands t). This may advantagemzsly be made of pcrforatc sheet copper, as indicated in 3 and tt, where the pert'orations are shown at 10. This cover-plate, particu- -larly if-made of copper as suggested,

found to transmit. the h Aat from the journal to the lubricant sufficiently to keep the latter in a proper fluid state, and hence it is practicable to omit the wires from the strands t). They may, however, be. used in addizion to the cover-plate. The cover-plate may be held in position by the ears S, in the same manner as arc the strands t) in Figs. 4 and As before stated, and as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plates or fingers 8 are alternated, and each is inclined from its supporting bar toward or over the com panion supporting bar so that the lingers cross at approximately their midlength, and being tpressed upward by the springs 12, bear with their upper faces against the lower sides of the journal 3, as shown in Fig. 2.

I have stated that it has been found desirable tc make the fingers broader than under my former patented construction, or to bear against a more extended portion of the journal. and I have shown each finger as furnished with five strands 9, laid side by side. This, however, is suggestive rather than essential, the width of the finger as a whole being variable as required. So, too, I have shown and described the fingers as alternating, and passing or crossing each other. but this not essential. It is, however, found to be a quite satisfactory arrangement.

The construction of the base frame out f thin sheet metal plates or strips 6 and T is advantageous, in that the resilience of such plates, which may conveniently be of spring steel or like metal, permits the frame to be flexed to facilitate introduction and removal of the device into and from the journal box,

and such introduction and removal are further facilitated by the crossing of the finvers 8, and their consequent capacity to be folded or pressed down into close proximity to the base frame.

The perforations l0 of the cover-plate lt) permit the lubricant to flou' 'outward over the fibrous body, or the Wires, or both. and they also serve to retain a small quantity of the lubricant, and prevent its return tloxv into the reservoir *when the journal is at rest, as is found sometimes to occur uhcre wires or like smooth bodies are solely lrelied` upon to etiect the delivery of the lubricant frein the reservoir to the journal. The primary purpose, however, of the cover-plate is to prevent the fibrous covering or strands fl from becoming hardened, glazed, or clogged at the point of Contact with the journal or shaft, as might otherwise happen under certain conditions., more especially where the fibrous material is of a very hard or compact nature.

In any structure of this character it difiiculll to state with certainly the precise mode or principle of its operation. because numerous factors enter into the problem. ll'hatever be the cause or causes. the result is certain, that is to say, constructed as hcre cation promptly upon the commencement of rotation of the journal, maintains the lubricant, or a sutiicient portion thercof,in proper fluid condition, and produces efiicient lubrication with the use or consumption of a relatively small quantity of lubricant.

lVhere the fingers are alternated or stag gered. as hererepresented, the oil or lubricant delivered by each finger will gradually spread or diffuse itself over the surface of the journal lying between it and tbc fingms on' either side. Though all the fingers will supply lubricant in a measure whichever ivay the journal may rotate, those bearing on the 11p-going side tend to deliver in greater quantity than those on the down-going side. This is believed to be duc to the fact that the lubricant possesses a certain degree of viscosity or cohesion, and is drawn out in the form of a thin film by the rotating journal, which, making contactuith the la yer or film of lubricant on the face ofthe finger. pulls or draws upward thereon. causing the portion belovv by reason of the stated cohesion, to follow or fio after the portion adhering to the journal. This seems to be indicated by the fact that the upward flow of lubricant becomes more rapid as the speed of rotation of the journal increases.

The flat springs l2 serve to hold the tingers S in light contact with the journal, and

canse them to follow any movements of the journal incident to the bounding or jarring of 'the wheels in rolling over the track. They also prevent any lateral play or displacement of the lingers, and as above indicated, permit the pressing down of the fingers close to the base plate when introducing and removing the device into and from the journal box. The fibrous bodies 9 may be removed and replaced when necessary by bending outward the ears S".

The fingers S, considered as a Whole, fur- .nisl-cd with the fibrous body and a heattransznitting body, constitute.conductors for the lubricant, and for convenience of designation this term conductor ivill be employed in the claims. or some'of them.

The broad idea of a lubricant conductor comprising a fibrous absorbent body and a heat transn'iitting body, and such other novel features as are shown and described herein but not specifically claimed, are reserved for and claimed in an independent application filed in my name December 4i, 1909, Serial No. 531.412.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is: j

1. In a journal lubricator. a lubricant conductor mounted to be yieldingly pressed against the surface to be lubricated, and to be immersed at its lower end in the lubricant, said conductor comprising a fibrous lubricant feeding and holding body. and a heat conductor overlying the fibrous body. preventing contactthereof with the surface to be lubricated. and extending from said surface into the lubricant space.

2. In a journal lubricator, a lulnicant conductor and a yielding support therefor, `whereby the conductor is pressed against the surface to be lubricated. said conductor extending from the surface to be lubricated to the lubricant reservoir, and comprising a fibrous body,.and a heat transmitting body overlying the fibrous body. the conductor as a Whole *serving to transmit beat from the journal to the lubricant. and to deliver lubricant from the reservoir to the journal.

In a journal lubricator, a lubricant' reservoir; a yielding support Within said reservoir: a lubricant conductor extending atits lower end into the lubricant reservoir` carried by the yielding support.. and adapted to be pressed thereby against the surface to be lubricated. said conductor comprising a sup porting plate or finger. strands of fibrous material carried by said finger. and a perforate metallic plate covering said fibrous material. v

4. ln a journal 'lubricatoig the combination of a. lubricant conductor consisting of a body of fibrous material and a heat transmitting body overlying the fibrous body, said fibrous material beingr adapted to serve as alubricant holding and applying means;

and a yielding support for said conductor adapted to press and hold the same against the surface to be lubricated.

5. In a journal lubricator, the combination of a lubricant reservoir; a lubricant conductor consistingr of a flat metallic plate with upturned edges and strands of fibrous material placed between said upturned edges, and adapted to serve as a lubricant supplying and holding means; a perforate metallic heat transmitting body for conducting heat from the moving surface to be lubricated to the lubricant in the reservoir; and a resilient support for the combined lubricant and heat conductor; adapted to yieldingly press the same against the surface to be lubricated, the conductor having its lower end extended into the lubricant reiservoir where it will be immersed in the lubricant. l

6. In a journal lubricator,'the combina tion of a lubricant reservoir; a lubricant conductor consisting of a flat metallic plate with upturned edges and strands of fibrous material placed between said upturned edges, and adapted to serve as a lubricant supplying and holding means; a resilient support on which said conductor is mounted, and by which it is yieldingly pressed against the surface to be lubricated; and a perfolate metallic plate overlying said fibrous material.

7. In a lubricator, the combination of a lubricant reservoir; a base or frame mounted therein; a series of lubricant conductors; a series of flat, springs interposed between said conductors and the base or frame, and serving to yieldingly press the Aconductors against the surface to be lubricated, each of said conductors comprising fibrous lubricant supplying and holding means, and an over lying perforate metallic plate for transmitting heat from the journal to the lubricant in which the lower ends of said conductors are immersed when the reservoir is charged.

8. In a lubricator, the combination of a lubricant reservoir; a base or frame mounted therein; a series of lubricant conductors; a series of flat springs interposed between the base or frame and said conductors, and serving to press the latter into contact with the surface to be lubricated, each of said conductors comprising fibrous lubricant supplying and holding means, and a perforate metallic plate for transmitting heat from the journal to the lubricant in which the lower ends of said conductors will be immersed when the reservoir is charged, said conductors being arranged in alternating, oppositely inclined series, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a. lubricator, the combination of a,

journal box containing a lubricant reservoir; a frame or base plate mounted therein and provided with yieldingly supported rigid plates or fingers; and a fibrous lubricant conductor and av metallic heat conductor overlying the fibrous body, and removably applied to said fingers.

10. In a lubricator, the combination of a ductor, the fibrous body serving to supply and hold the lubricant, and the metallic heat conductor lying between the surface to be lubricated and the brous body, and serving to protect the fibrous body against contact with and glazing by the surface to be lubricated, and to transmit heat from said surface to the lubricant,and thus to main-t tain the lubricantin proper fiuid condition.

l2. In. combination with a journal box and with a journal mounted therein, a lubricant supplying and holding device, compris-v lng a fibrous body and a. metallic heat conducting body overlying the fibrous body, the fibrous body serving to supply and hold the lubricant, and the metallic body serving to prevent contact of the fibrous body with the journal and thus to prevent glazing of the fibrous body, and also serving to transmit heat from the journal to the lubricant, and thereby to maintain the lubricant in proper fluid condition.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 2d day of July 1907.

GEORGE J. BINGHAM. lVitnesses:

FREDERIC B. lVRIGH'r, J. ALEXANDER VERNON.

Copies of this patent may be `obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1D. C. 

